Fuse cutout



Nov. 10, 1942. R, D N LSON 2,301,442

FUSE CUTOUT Filed July 25, 1941 I INVENTOR. BY

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED FUSE CUTOUT Rolland D. Nelson, South Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Line Material Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 403,972

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in fuse cutouts.

Generally, fuse cutouts of the housed type comprise a porcelain housing having an open front and bottom, spaced contacts carried within the housing, a fuse cartridge electrically connecting the spaced contacts, conductor means disposed adjacent the lower open end of the housing adapted to permit the cartridge to move to open circuit position under short circuit conditions and a door adapted to close the open front of the housing.

The lower open end of the fuse cutout permits direct contact by an operator with the live parts of the cutout. It is the general practice in the trade to extend the open end of the expulsion tube below a major portion of the housing in order to eliminate all parts from the path of the expanding gases, which parts would otherwise tend to retard and redirect the conductive gases back into the interior of the housing. These conductive gases frequently cause internal flashover between the spaced contacts and, consequently, cause damage to the cutout. With the tube in extended position below the housing, this tendency of redirection of the gases is reduced to a minimum.

Operators working around this type of electrical equipment may accidentally touch the lower live parts of the tube by means of their hands or by accidentally bumping into these live parts with other parts of their bodies as, for example, the tops of their heads. Under these conditions the results to the operator is generally fatal.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a fuse cutout, the lower open end of which is provided with protective means adapted to prevent accidental contact with the live parts at the lower end of the fuse cutout.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fuse cutout having means associated with the lower end of the fuse housing and with the lower end of the door adapted to prevent accidental contact with live cutout conductor parts.

A further object is to provide a fuse cutout having the expulsion tube in an extended position below a major portion of the housing, thereby preventing redirection of expanding gases to the interior of the housing, and having means associated with the housing to prevent accidental contact with the live parts associated with the lower end of the tube.

A still further object is to provide a fuse cutout having protective means arranged in such a manner as not to appreciably affect the free expansion of the gases or the expulsive action of the tube and will adequately protect an operator against accidental contact with the live parts.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a cutout in side elevation, with parts cut away, with the improved protective means associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a fuse cutout comprising an insulating housing I having an open front and bottom. The rear wall 2 of the housing I is provided with a supporting bolt 3 adapted to be secured to any suitable support not shown. Spaced contacts are carried within the housing, the lower one being indicated at 4.

Below the lower contact 4 is a hinge support 5 upon which is pivotally mounted a cartridge support 6. A door I provided with a manipulating handle 8 is secured to the cartridge support 6 by means of bolts 9.

A cartridge I0 is slidably mounted in the car- I tridge support 6 and provided at its lower end with a cartridge supporting arm II secured to the cartridge in any suitable manner (not shown).

A fuse cartridge restraining lever I2 is pivoted at the lower end of the arm II at I3. The restraining lever I2 extends adjacent the lower open end of the cartridge III and carries a. clamping nut I4 on the threaded shaft I5. The other end of the restraining lever terminates in a hooked portion I6 which is held in hooked engagement with the pivot pin H by means of the flexible leader I8 secured to the restraining lever I2 by means of the nut I4.

The flexible leader I8 is electrically connected to a fusible section (not shown) carried within the fuse cartridge I0.

It is to be noted that an electrical circuit is completed between the spaced contacts, one of which is shown at 4, through the fuse link (not shown) carried by the fuse cartridge, to the flexible leader I8, through the fuse cartridge restraining lever I2, through the pivot pin II, through the cartridge support 6, and then to the lower conductor 4.

It may be noted that the live parts 5, I2. I4, and I8 are exposed to accidental contact therewith at the lower open end of the housing I.

Proper dissipation of the gases is obtained by positioning the tube I0 so that the lower end thereof extends below the confining walls of the housing I. In this position there is no tendency for the gases to be redirected to the interior of the housing.

In order to prevent accidental contact with these live parts, protective means as, for example, spike-like members [9 made of any suitable insulating material as Bakelite is secured to the lower open end of the housing I in any suitable manner as by threading the upper end of the members I9 into threaded inserts 20 secured at the bottom end of the Walls 2!, 22, and 2 of the housing I. The members It may also be secured in place by any suitable binding agent as, for example, cement or lead.

The members l9 may also be secured to the lower end of the housing I by forcing them into suitable apertures adapted to receive the members in close fitting relationship.

A Bakelite spike 23 is secured to the lower end of the door H by any suitable means as, for example, a rivet 24.

It is to be noted that the spaced guard means l9 and 23 are positioned about the lower end of the housing I and door I in such a manner as to E3 expulsion of the gases from the fuse cartridge H) during short circuit operations.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the objects of this invention have been accomplished by providing a fuse cutout having means associated therewith whereby accidental contacts with the live parts of the cutout are prevented.

I claim:

In a fuse cut-out, a housing open at the bottom but otherwise normally closed, fuse structure within said housing, said fuse structure including one or more live parts projecting out of said housing through the open bottom thereof to an exposed position immediately below said housing, said live parts being so situated as to constitute a hazard, and a protective fence depending from and supported by said housing and surrounding said live parts, said fence comprising a plurality of depending picket-like non-conductive members laterally spaced apart sufficiently to allow substantially unobstructive passage of discharge gases therebetween, said members being of sufficient length and spaced closely enough to en-- sure against accidental contact between a workmans head and said live parts.

ROLLAND D. NELSON. 

